1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network copy-file management system which is made up of a copy system and terminals, both being interconnected through a computer network, and sends image data read out information from an original document in the copy system to the terminals, a copy system forming such a network copy file management system, a copy server serving as one of major components of such a copy system, a file server, a network copy file managing method by the network file management system, and a computer readable medium which stores a program causing a computer to function as the copy server.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Applications No. Hei. 11-126074, 11-126075 and 11-126076, which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional copy system is of the analog type in which an image on an original document located on a document table is directly imaged on a photosensitive drum, and is developed onto a copy sheet by use of electrophotography process. With development of recent digital technology, to realize higher level image processing, a copy system of the digital type gradually takes the leading place in the market. In the digital copy system an image on the original document is read in the form of digital image data, the read image is appropriately processed, and printed.
The digital copy system is made up of an image reader for reading image information from an original document, a printing device for printing, and a copy server which controls those devices and appropriately controls image data received from the image reader and sends the processed one to the printing device. Of those devices, the image reader and the printing device operate on the basis of the same principles as of the scanner and the printing device, which are used in the computer system. If the architecture as of the computer system, such as a PC-AC, is employed for the architecture of the copy system, the scanner and the printer may be used for the image reader and the printing device. A general personal computer into which a print control program is installed or a dedicated computer may be used for a copy server.
Where a personal computer, such as a PC-AT, is thus used for the copy control unit, the copy system and the terminals may be interconnected through a computer network by giving the copy server a communication protocol, such as TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/internet protocol) or HTTPD (hypertext transfer protocol demon) and a network hardware. When the copy system and the terminals are thus interconnected in a communicative manner, the computer may be utilized in various ways by use of a terminal with a computer being capable of executing various types of processes in accordance with programs to be executed. If image data read out from the original document of the copy system is stored in the copy server, and if the readout rough image data may be displayed on a display screen of the terminal on an as-needed base, and it may be down-loaded into the terminal, it is possible to actually confirm states (e.g., optical density, resolution, disposition, coloring, etc.) of an image to be copied and printed on a printing sheet on the screen of the terminal, on the basis of image data. This leads to prevention of useless copies, paper saving, and eventually contribution of earth environment protection.
If image data read by the copy system is stored in the copy server, and if a list of image data pieces are displayed, when necessary, on the display screen of the terminal and specific image data designated by the terminal is transmitted (moved, copied) to a network device, the image data may be transmitted to a necessary network device. Therefore, an image can be transmitted to a single or a plurality of remote network devices at much higher speed and image quality than by a conventional FAX mail service or in much simpler manner than when image data is transmitted by a PC communication.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a network copy file system in which image data that a copy system obtains through the reading of an original document is stored in the form of image files into a disc in a copy system, management information of a plurality of image files within a range requested is displayed on the screen of the terminal in response to a request from a terminal connected through a computer network to this copy system, and the terminal is caused to down load the image files corresponding to specific management information, which are requested by an operator on a terminal, which belong to those management information displayed, a copy system forming such a network copy file management system, a copy file server as a major portion of such a copy system, a network copy file management method by use of such a network copy file management system, and a computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to function as a copy system as mentioned above.
To solve the above problems, the present invention uses the following constructions.
A network copy file management system according to a first aspect of the present invention, comprises a copy system and terminals which are interconnected through a network, wherein
(A) the copy system comprises:
a scanner for reading information from an original copy;
a printer for printing;
an operation panel which accepts execution commands for a copy process to cause the printer to print image data read out by the scanner;
a control unit for executing the copy process, wherein the copy system may communicate with the terminal through the net work;
image data converting means for converting image data read out from information on the original by the scanner into a image file format;
a storage portion for storing the image file, wherein the operation panel further accepts execution commands for an image-file storing process, after image data read out of the original by the scanner is converted into the image file format, the image file being stored into the storage portion by the image-file storing process, and wherein, when the operation panel accepts execution commands for the image-file storing process, the control unit causing the data converting means to convert image data into the format of image files, and then storing the image files into the storage portion;
a management information responding portion, when one of the terminal requests management information of image files within a predetermined range stored in the storage portion, the management information responding portion sending the requested management information of image files within the predetermined range to the terminal; and
an image file transmitting portion, when the terminal requests an image file corresponding to any of the management information transmitted to the terminal, the image file transmitting portion reads out the requested image file from the storage portion and sending the readout image file to the terminal; and
(B) each of the terminals comprises:
a management information request portion for requesting the copy system to send management information of image files within a predetermined range;
a display portion for displaying management information that the copy system sends in response to a request;
an input portion which accepts data input by an operator, the data to specify any of image files indicated by the management information displayed on the display portion; and
an image file request portion for requesting any of image files specified by the input data accepted by the input portion for the copy system.
With such an arrangement, the scanner reads image information from the original document, and image data gathered by the document reading operation is converted to a format of the image file and stored into the storage portion. Accordingly, when a number of original documents are read, a number of image files are stored into the storage portion. When in a state that the image files are stored in the storage portion, the management information request portion of a client terminal requests to the copy system to send management information of the image files within a range, the management information responding portion of the copy system reads out the management information of all the image files within a request range, and sends it to the client terminal. In the client terminal, the display portion displays the received management information. When at the terminal, the operator inputs to the input portion the data indicating that any of the management information displayed by the display portion is specified, the image file request portion requests the copy system to send an image file corresponding to the specified management information. In the copy system, the image file transmitting portion reads out the image file requested by the client terminal from the storage portion, and sends it to the client terminal. When the image file is thus sent to the client terminal, the client terminal is placed in a state that it is capable of displaying an image on the basis of the image data stored in the image file. Therefore, a state of the image can be checked before the image is printed on a printing sheet.
The image data may be monochromatic binary image data, multi-tone gray scale image, RGB multi-tone data, YMCK multi-tone data, or color pad data. The image file may be a JPEG file, a TIFF or a GIF file. The management information of the image file may be the file name, file size, file attributes, and time stamp of the image file, and one or all pages of the image data stored in the image file. The network may be LAN, such a public telephone network as a telephone network and a packet switching network, internet or intranet. The storage portion may be a disc such as a hard disc, a RAM disc, a floppy disc, or a magneto-optical disc. The input portion may be a keyboard or a pointing device, such as a computer mouse or a touch panel.
A copy system according to a second aspect of the present invention, comprises:
a scanner for reading information from an original copy;
a printer for printing;
an operation panel which accepts execution commands for a copy process to cause the printer to print image data read out by the scanner;
a control unit for executing the copy process, wherein the copy system may communicate with a terminal through a network;
image data converting means for converting image data read out from information on the original by the scanner into a image file format; and
a storage portion for storing the image file, wherein the operation panel further accepts execution commands for an image-file storing process, after image data read out of the original by the scanner is converted into the image file format, the image file being stored into the storage portion by the image-file storing process, and wherein, when the operation panel accepts execution commands for the image-file storing process, the control unit causing the data converting means to convert image data into the format of image files, and then storing the image files into the storage portion;
a management information responding portion, when the terminal requests management information of image files within a predetermined range stored in the storage portion, the management information responding portion sending the requested management information of image files within the predetermined range to the terminal; and
an image file transmitting portion, when the terminal requests an image file corresponding to any of the management information transmitted to the terminal, the image file transmitting portion reads out the requested image file from the storage portion and sending the readout image file to the terminal.
Preferably, in the above copy system, wherein
the program is Java (a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) Applet,
the computer readable medium storing hypertext data which is requested by a web browser of the terminal and executed by a processor of the terminal executing the web browser, thereby to cause the program transmitting portion to request the down load of the reference program.
Preferably, in the above copy system, wherein
the program is Java Applet,
the computer readable medium storing hypertext data which is requested by a web browser of the terminal and executed by a processor of the terminal executing the web browser, thereby to cause the program transmitting portion to request the down load of the reference program.
Preferably, in the copy system according to the second aspect of the present invention,
the image data converting means converts image data into an image file of its own or unique format,
the image file transmitting portion which, in response to an image file transmission request, converts the image file into an image file of general format, and then sends the resultant.
Preferably, in the above copy system, the unique format is a JPEG file formed in a manner that image data is JPEG compressed to generate fine image JPEG data, and rough image JPEG data is generated by reducing a resolution of the image data and then JPEG compressing the image data, and the fine and rough image data are combined into one image data. Or in the above copy system, preferably, when original documents of a plurality of pages exist, the unique format is a JPEG file formed in a manner that fine and rough image JPEG data generated for each page are combined into one data.
A copy server according to a third aspect of the present invention, comprises:
an image data input portion for inputting image data read by a scanner;
a print data output portion for outputting print data to a printer;
an operation panel connecting portion for accepting various execution commands;
a network control portion communicable with a terminal through a network;
image data converting means for converting image data input from the image data input portion into a image file format;
a storage portion for storing the image file;
a management information responding portion, when the terminal requests management information of image files within a predetermined range stored in the storage portion, the management information responding portion sending the requested management information of image files within the predetermined range to the terminal;
an image file transmitting portion, when the terminal requests an image file corresponding to any of the management information transmitted to the terminal, the image file transmitting portion reads out the requested image file from the storage portion and sending the readout image file to the terminal;
a computer readable medium storing a program for causing the computer of each the terminal to request the management information responding portion to send management information of image files within a predetermined range, to display the management information received from the management information responding portion in response to the request, and to request the image file transmitting portion to send the image files corresponding to the specified management information; and
a program transmitting portion for the program stored in the computer readable medium to the terminal in response to a request from the terminal.
Preferably, in the above copy server,
the program is Java Applet,
the computer readable medium storing hypertext data which is requested by a web browser of the terminal and executed by a processor of the terminal executing the web browser, thereby to cause the program transmitting portion to request the down load of the reference program.
Preferably, in the above copy server, the Java Applet received by the terminal displays incoming management information and the management information of the image files in the terminal. Or in the above copy server, preferably, the network control portion is communicable with a third network device, the management information responding portion transmits the third network device information, the Java Applet received by the terminal requests the third network device to send management information according to the third network device information, causes reception of the management information, and displays incoming management information, the management information of the image files in the terminal and the management information of the third network device.
Preferably, in the copy server according to the third aspect of the present invention,
the image data converting means converts image data into an image file of its own or unique format,
the image file transmitting portion which, in response to an image file transmission request, converts the image file into an image file of general format, and then sends the resultant.
Preferably, in the above copy server,
the unique format is a JPEG file formed in a manner that image data is JPEG compressed to generate fine image JPEG data, and rough image JPEG data is generated by reducing a resolution of the image data and then JPEG compressing the image data, and the fine and rough image data are combined into one image data. Or in the above copy server, preferably, when original documents of a plurality of pages exist, the unique format is a JPEG file formed in a manner that fine and rough image JPEG data generated for each page are combined into one data.
A file server according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, comprises:
an image data input portion for inputting image data and a network control portion communicable with a terminal through a network;
image data converting means for converting image data input from the image data input portion into a image file format;
a storage portion for storing the image file;
a management information responding portion, when the terminal requests management information of image files within a predetermined range stored in the storage portion, the management information responding portion sending the requested management information of image files within the predetermined range to the terminal;
an image data transmitting portion, when the terminal requests the image data transmitting portion to send an image file corresponding to any of the management information transmitted to the terminal, the image data transmitting portion reading out the requested image file from the storage portion and sending the terminal;
a computer readable medium storing (i) Java Applet for causing the computer of each the terminal to request the management information responding portion to send management information of image files within a predetermined range, to display the management information received from the management information responding portion in response to the request and the management information of the image files in the terminal, and to request the image file transmitting portion to send the image files corresponding to the specified management information when one of the management information pieces of the file server being displayed is specified by the operator, and (ii) hypertext data which is requested by a web browser of the terminal and read into a processor of the terminal executing the web browser to thereby cause transmission request of the Java Applet; and
a program transmitting portion for sending the Java Applet stored in the computer readable medium to the terminal in response to the request of the terminal.
A computer readable medium according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, stores:
(A) a program causing a computer having an image data input portion for inputting image data, a network control portion communicable with a terminal through a network, and a storage portion for storing the image file to convert data input from the image data input portion into a image file format,
to store the image data into the storage portion,
when the terminal requests management information of image files within a predetermined range stored in the storage portion, to send the requested management information of image files within the predetermined range to the terminal, and
when the terminal requests the sending of an image file corresponding to any of the management information sent to the terminal, to read out the requested image file from the storage portion and to send the terminal;
(B) Java Applet to cause the computer of each the terminal to request the sending of management information of image files within a predetermined range, to display the management information received from the management information responding portion in response to the request and the management information of the image files in the terminal, and to request the computer to send the image files corresponding to the specified management information when one of the management information pieces of the computer being displayed is specified by the operator; and
(C) hypertext data which is requested by a web browser of the terminal and read into a processor of the terminal executing the web browser, thereby to cause transmission request of the Java Applet.
A network copy file management method according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, for managing image files obtained by reading image information on an original document by a network copy file management system including a copy system and terminals which are interconnected through a network, wherein
the terminal requests the computer system to send the management information of image files within a predetermined range,
the copy system requests the terminal to send the requested management information of image files within a predetermined range,
the terminal displays the transmitted management information,
the terminal requests the copy system to send image files corresponding to the management information of the displayed management information specified by an operator, and
the copy system sends the requested information to the terminal.